Art op separating usefttl products from the exhaust of internal-com



y a 'app q A. J. PARIS, JR.

ANT OF'SEPA RATING USEFUL PRODUCTS FROM THE EXHAUST OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1919.

1,388,480.- PmmMu-g. 23,1921.

Tanii v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTE JEAN PARIS, JR, 0]! CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

ART OF SEPARATING USEFUL PRODUCTS FROM THE EXHAUST OF INTERNAL GOI I- BUSTION ENGINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTE JEAN PARIS, 117., a citizen of the United States, residing in State of West, Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Art of Separatin .Useful Products from the Exhaust of nternaLCombustion Elfgines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the art of separating useful products from the exhaust of internal combustion engines, and the objects of the invention, speaking generally, are, first, to 0001 said exhaust by introducing therein some agent, other than water, and, second, to separate and recover useful products produced from both said exhaust and the agent thus introduced, or from a combination of the two sources.

It is the customary practice in internal combustion engine plants, particularly in large units, to cool the engine exhaust by either the direct injection ofwater or by water jacketing the exhaust exits, for the purpose of so reducing the temperature of such exhaust as to insure against fire.

The present invention, in contradistinction, embodies the introduction into the exhaust gases of a heat absorbing agent having less specific heat than water, with the object of not only cooling said exhaust products to the desired degree, but, in addition, utilizing such heat to increase the yield of useful products recoverable therefrom.

Among the agents which it is preferred to introduce in, or commingle with, the specified exhaust gases, by injection or otherwise, and which it may be desired to crack, polymerize, or otherwise alter, may be mentioned gaseous or liquid hydrocarbons, such as petroleum, or its distillates, natural gas, oil gas, or other suitable hydrocarbon liquid or gas, or any combination of 'said agents. Useful cracked products from hydrocarbons are obtained, and {applicant has demons strated, also, that the process results in the formation of small quantities of acetic acid, ammonia, ethyl and methyl alcohol, though not in large quantities, and that some of the hydrocarbons become acetated.

Features of the invention other than those Specification of Letters Patent.

Charleston, county of Kanawha, and

Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

Application filed April 12, 1919. Serial No. 289,767.

specified will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The drawings show, diagrammatically, one form of apparatus in which the process may be practised, although, it will be understood, that this form is typical only, and not exclusive of the various embodiments of apparatus which may be employed in practising the process.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates an internal combustion engine having an inlet 2, controlled by a valve 3, and an exhaust 4, controlled by a valve 5. A tank 6 designates, generically, the source of the heat absorblng agent, which, for the purposes of the present illustration of the process, may be considered as containing a suitable'hydrocarbon liquid. Leading from tank 6 is a pipe 7, provided with a valve 8, for the purpose of introducing the heat absorbing agent into the exhaust 4 from the engine. The exhaust 4, for purposes of illustration, is shown in the form of a pipe, although, it will be understood, that it might partake of any other suitable form. While not necessary for"practical operation, the efliciency of the apparatus may be enhanced by providing a heat insulating jacket 4 on the exhaust, for some distance beyond the valve 5, and a cooling jacket 4", or other cooling means, between the insulated section and a separator positioned in the exhaust, designated 9, whereby a relatively high temperature is maintained in the first section of the exhaust, and a relatively low temperature in the section following. Separator 9 may be of any well known type, the function of which is to separate from the gaseous mixture, passing through the exhaust, some or all of the useful products desired. The pla'oduots accumulating in the separator may drawn off, as occasion requires, through the valve pipe 10. That portion of the exhaust 11, positioned beyond the separator, is preferably provided with a balanced valve 12 for maintaining a slight pressure, say of from one half to one pound in the system, but not sufliciently highto interfere, through back pressure with the operation of the engine. It will be understood that other well known ways might be employed to bring about this specified pressure in the system. Moreover, other means, than those specified, might be employed to effect the separation of theuseful constituents desired, either in whole or part, such as refrigeration, compression, and cooling under pressure. Moreover, one of the last mentioned methods may be employed in conjunction with the separator 9. One method of separation which, in'particular, I have found practical is a compression of the gases or vapors followed by cooling, 2'. 6., condensation of the liquefiable products. The residuary gases, after being subjected to the separating process or processes, may 'be utilized for any desired purpose, or allowed to escape into the atmosphere.

, tests show that .for everyfifty feet of gas ,and the liquefiable products were separatedburned in the engine,.or its equivalent in a carbureted mixture, or an equivalent amount of other fuel,'substantially a gallon of the hydrocarbon .heatabsorbing agent, such as kerosene or its equivalent in vapor or gas, may be introduced into the exhaust gases, although advantageous results have been obtained by using very materially greater or very materially lesser quantities of such agents. In crackin kerosene, a temperature of 700 F., or s ightly above, as is well known, may be employed. So far as proportions are concerned, I have advantageously used in the gas engine, fifty feet of natural gas mixed with five hundred feet of air and injected into the exhaust one gal- 1011 of kerosene. The temperature of the exhaust being upward of 700 E, which cracked the kerosene in whole or in part,

out therefrom by liquefaction. These products consist of water, acid,probably aceticac d, cracked hydrocarbons and residuary hydrocarbons. I ,Varlonsmodifications ma :be made to the V specific-process described wlthout departing fromthespirit or substance of the invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the. appended claims. ,For example,

the 1 heat .absorbing agent maybe heated,

to a more or less extent, prior to its introductlon into the exhaust gases, in which event a larger quantity of the heatabsorb ing agent may be employed, or instead of employing the exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine, gases of similar or analogous characteristics may be produced in various other ways, or obtained from various other sources. if a complete combustion of the gases is not desired, the combustion may be restricted so as to produce carbon monoxid instead of carbonic dioxid as is ordinarily desired. Moreover, the extent and character of the combustion in the engine cylinder might be controlled by mixing aqueous or other va or with the intake products, or by efiectmg the combustion, in whole or in part, by oxygen instead of air. .For example, if oxygen is used instead of air, a quicker and more thorough combustion can be effected and without necessitating the introduction of nitrogen.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In the art specified, the rocess which consists in absorbing the heat rom products of combustion from an internal explosive engine by introducing therein a suitable heat absorbing agent other than water, and thereafter condensing and separating out the liquefiable products.

2. In the art specified, the rocess which consists in absorbing the heat om products of combustion from an internal ex losive engine by introducing therein a liqui other than water, and thereafter condensing and separating out the li uefiable products.

3. In the art s eci ed, the process which consists in absor ing the heat from products of combustion from an internal explosive engine by introducing therein a liquid hydrocarbon, and thereafter condensing and separating out the liquefiable products.

4. In the art specified, the rocess which consists in absorbing the heat rom products ofcombustion-from an internal ex losive engine by introducing therein a liqui other than water, and thereafter separatin out and recovering useful products, and t ereafter condensing and separating out the liquefiable products.

.5. In the art specified, the rocess which consistsin absorbing the heat rom products of combustion from an internal explosive engine by introducing therein petroleum or.

its distillates, and thereaftercondensing and separating out the li uefiable products.

6. In the art speci ed, the rocess which consists in absorblng the heat rom products of combustion from an internal explosive engine by introdudlng therein petroleum 01o its distillates, and thereafter separatin out and recovering useful products, an thereafter condensing and separating out the liquefiable products.

7. In the art specified, the process which consists in commingling with the exhaust products of an internal combustion engine a suitable heat absorbing agent, other'than Water, and thereafter condensing and separating out the liquefiable products.

. 8. In the art specified, the process which consists in commingling with the exhaust products of an internal combustion engine a suitable hydrocarbon, and thereafter separating out and recovering the resulting use- 10 ful products.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

AUGUSTE JEAN PARIS, JR. 

